The present invention relates to an illumination device. More specifically, the present invention relates a peripheral for an umbrella, an umbrella and methods.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to incorporating a light (e.g. LED) source on the top portion (e.g. ferrule) of an umbrella. Under control of a processor, depending upon the movement of the umbrella, the LED provides light that may enable third-parties to more readily see the umbrella and user and may enable the user of the umbrella to more readily see their surroundings.
In various embodiments, to control the lighting of the LED, various solutions were considered (not admitted as prior art) including: a user-operable physical on/off switch, a physical-based switch such as a ball-bearing switch or a mercury switch, a rain-sensing switch, ambient light sensor, or the like. Each of these embodiments have drawbacks. For example, with a user-operable switch, the user may forget to turn the LED on or the LED off, thus reducing visibility of the user when it is needed or reducing lifespan of a battery by the user forgetting to turn it off; with a physical-based switch, any significant deviation from a vertical orientation for the umbrella will cause the LED to turn off even though the light is still needed, for example, if the user is tilting the umbrella into the wind; with rain sensors, the LED may not turn on if the umbrella is used in in a snow storm, wind storm, sand storm, or in the dark, even though the light is needed; with a light sensor, the LED may turn-on while the umbrella is in the closet, when it is not needed; and the like.
In light of the above, what is desired are improved methods and apparatus to address the problem described above with reduced drawbacks.